Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Quick Washboard Abs



For those of you wanting to develop quick washboard abs, there is good news and bad news in store for you. The good news is that you can build washboard abs in very little time at all. The bad news is that it is definitely not going to be easy. Anyone who has a good body has worked hard for it, and if you think that you can get the results you want without sweating for them, you are going to be disappointed.

Quick washboard abs must necessarily start with a change to your diet. Any foods with high fat content, low or inefficient protein structures and not enough fiber can be devastating to your abs. Eating a high protein diet is not enough, and you need to balance that protein with a lot of fruit and as little fat as you can. If you eat protein and fat together, your body would much rather use the fat for fuel than the protein, and you will not be able to make use of all of that protein you are eating.

The key to getting quick washboard abs is to eat a high-protein, low-carb meal at least two hours before you exercise. A piece or two of fruit should accompany this, to give you enough energy and sugar to want to exercise in the first place! A protein shake made of whey protein is an excellent way to prep for your workout, but make sure you eat nothing for an hour before you hit the gym. Your after meal workout is also essential, because your body has used up a lot of its fuel breaking down your muscles, and needs more protein to build them up and sugar to keep your blood glucose levels where they should be. Remember that maintaining healthy eating is absolutely essential when you want to build muscle or burn fat – without the right nutrition your efforts will be wasted.

Quick washboard abs are all about the exercises you do, and a lot of people misunderstand the exercises they need to perform to develop muscles quickly and keep them. Begin your workout with ten minutes on a treadmill or bicycle – this will speed up your respiration and metabolism, making it easier for your muscles to get the fuel they need to bulk up. Forget about sit ups and crunches – do slow, heavy resistance exercises with long time intervals. Your stomach is one of the few areas that can handle a very long time interval, and doing fewer reps can greatly reduce the damage you do to your hips, neck and back.

Experiment with different exercises to avoid sit ups and crunches. These will work, but they will definitely not get you quick washboard abs. Use leg lifts, vertical bicycle kicks and water aerobics to get the most out of your time at gym. One new exercise that is helping a lot of people develop washboard abs is based on a push-up, believe it or not. Get two dumbbells with round weights, place them on the floor and take up the push up position, leaning on the dumbbells. Now roll one forward without moving your other hand, stretching your body at an angle. Roll back, and roll the other side forward, using your still arm as an anchor.

After only two reps you should start to feel a massive burn in your sides and lower abdominals. Do three sets with low reps and long time intervals, and you should develop quick washboard abs in no time at all! The best part about this exercise is that it puts almost no strain on any part of your body besides your stomach.

John Ripper is a fitness freak. Discover free tips and tricks to get six pack abs at Quick Washboard Abs

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